Review: Halaska – Mayantology

Halaska
Mayantology
Self-Released
Street: 07.09
Halaska = Hella + Piglet + The Appleseed Cast
Let me start off by urging you not to take the band name, album name or any of the track titles at face value. Fortunately, they’re one of the better progressive math-rock outfits I’ve heard in a long time. Unfortunately, they have this obnoxious obsession with puns (as you’ll soon find out). On Mayantology, Halaska throws their hat in today’s frenzying ring of progressive math-rock—and they deserve to. On tracks like "Brian Emo," they punch out frantically busy guitar structures while the clatteringly chaotic drummer lays a Zach Hill–esque patterned foundation underneath it. The album’s title track adds some crunch on the jolting instrumentals and showcases the band’s talent in a more static-filled lens, à la This Will Destroy You. This album is perfectly embedded with progressive rock solidity from start to finish—even though the “punny-or-die” labeling scheme warrants a few eye rolls. –Gregory Gerulat